Why it's called a 'swap' - Sharing recipes with friends

Once again I am relying on my friends to supply recipes to share with you today. In looking at old recipes from friends in my files and looking at my friends' Facebook page, I came up with these to share with you today.

St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner, and you will be bombarded with recipes from the grocery store advertisements to prepare corned beef and cabbage. But for a slight change of pace you might like to use some of that leftover corned beef in this casserole. It has all of the makings of a delicious Reuben sandwich, just in casserole form.

Also note that now you can purchase the crescent roll pastry sheets that do not have the perforations, so if you can find them, just unroll and shape to a 9x13-inch rectangle and proceed with the recipe.

Reuben Crescent Bake

2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls

1 pound sliced Swiss cheese

1 1/4 pounds sliced deli corned beef

1 can (14 ounces) sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained

2/3 cup Thousand Island salad dressing

1 egg white, lightly beaten

3 teaspoons caraway seeds

Unroll one tube of crescent dough into one long rectangle; seal seams and perforations. Press onto the bottom of a greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Layer with half of the cheese and all of the corned beef. Combine sauerkraut and salad dressing; spread over beef. Top with remaining cheese. On a lightly floured surface, press or roll second tube of crescent dough into a 13- x 9-inch rectangle, sealing seams and perforations. Place over cheese. Brush with egg white; sprinkle with caraway seeds. Bake for 12-16 minutes or until heated through and crust is golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting. Yield: 8 servings.

Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes

çauliflower pancakes are low carbohydrate and make a nice side dish.

1 head cauliflower

2 large eggs

1/2 to 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup diced green onion

3/4 to 1 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, adjust to taste

Salt

Olive oil

Light sour cream

Cut cauliflower into florets and steam in a small amount of boiling water until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and mash the cauliflower while it is still warm. Stir in the cheese, eggs, green onions, breadcrumbs, cayenne and salt to taste. Coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Form the cauliflower mixture into patties about 3 inches across. Cook until golden brown and set, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with a dollop of light sour cream and a sprinkling of thinly sliced green onion tops for garnish.

A few years ago we had a friend, Leigh Barrett, stay with us for the summer and we have enjoyed keeping up with her through the years. She is now married and has two beautiful children of her own. From the sound of the next two recipes that I received from her, she has grown into a great cook for her family.

Taco Pasta Salad

1 package (16 ounces) spiral pasta

1 pound ground beef

3/4 cup water

1 envelope taco seasoning

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped

2 cans (2 1/4 ounces each) sliced ripe olives, drained

1 bottle (16 ounces) Catalina or 16 ounces Western salad dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add water and taco seasoning; simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. Rinse pasta in cold water and drain; place in a large bowl. Add beef mixture, cheese, green pepper, onion, tomato and olives; mix well. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

John Wayne Casserole

2 pounds ground beef, cooked and drained

1 (1.25 ounce) packet taco seasoning

4 ounces sour cream

4 ounces mayonnaise

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

1 yellow onion, sliced

2 cups biscuit mix

2 tomatoes, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 (4-ounce) can sliced jalapeño peppers

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Brown ground beef and add taco seasoning and water, according to packet instructions; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, 4 ounces of cheddar cheese, and half of the onions; set aside. Stir biscuit mix and water (directions on box) to form soft dough. Pat dough on the bottom and one-half-inch up the sides of a 9 x 13- inch greased casserole dish. Sauté remaining onions and bell peppers until slightly tender. On top of biscuit mix, evenly distribute ingredients in the following order: ground beef, tomato slices, green peppers, onions, jalapeñopeppers, sour cream mixture and end with remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until edges of dough are lightly browned.

Sweet Hawaiian Crock-Pot Chicken

2 pounds chicken tenderloin, cut into large yet bite-sized chunks

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce

Combine all together, cook on low in Crock-Pot 6-8 hours. Serve with brown rice and garnish with sliced green onions.

Favorite Broccoli Salad

1 head broccoli, chopped

1 head cauliflower, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound bacon, fried and crumbled

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Combine raw chopped vegetables in a large bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients until well combined. Season as desired with salt, pepper, garlic salt, cayenne pepper, or whatever you prefer. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Years ago I made this recipe quite often; it seemed like a recipe fad or rage at the time. Then I got out of the habit, but now the children are asking me to make them again. So, here is the old recipe for chicken cordon bleu; maybe we could call it Vintage Chicken.

2 large boneless chicken breasts

2 long slices smoked Gouda cheese (the thickness of the slices depends on how cheesy you want the dish)

2 slices deli ham

1 large egg

2 large egg whites

1 tablespoon water

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon paprika

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large, nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray. Pat the chicken cutlets dry and butterfly the chicken slices open. Place one piece of cheese on top of one slice of deli ham and roll the deli ham around the cheese. Place the ham and cheese on top of one half of the butterflied chicken breast, and fold the other half over top. Use toothpicks to keep the edges sealed.

In a shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, paprika, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg whites with the water. Dip the chicken into the egg wash then into the breadcrumbs. Place the chicken onto the baking sheet and spray the top of the chicken with cooking spray.

Bake chicken for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at newssemissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.